thanks, for the punctuality in obeying, and the judgment in putting my orders into execution; and I gratefully acknowledge the cordial and ready assistance and advice of Captain (James Coutts) Crawford[1]. Lieutenant Cunningham, of the Sir Francis Drake, with the officers and men stationed at the launches, &c. obtained my praise, and deserve every recommendation for the arrangement of the boats in case of defeat. I have now to regret the necessity of subjoining an account of the killed and wounded of the four ships[2], in which, when I consider the strength of the fort, and the numbers opposed to us, in storming the town, I deem ourselves particularly fortunate. The fort is a regular fortification, mounting 16 six-pounders. The governor acknowledges to have had in the field 300 muskets, 60 artillerymen, and from 1500 to 2000 men armed with long pikes, a pistol and a crees each. The enemy suffered considerably; the field was covered with their dead. I have not been able to ascertain their numbers, either in the fort or town, bnt I understand the commander-in-Chief of the natives (second in rank to the Rajah of Samanap) and his two sons were slain.”
“In the hurry and confusion of writing the above,” Captain Harris forgot to mention a battery of 12 nine-pounders, that protected the mouth of the river, which was destroyed by a party under the command of Lieutenant Roch, R.M., in the face of the enemy, whilst Captain Pellew was negociating with the Governor.
The success of the British at Samanap was followed up by what Rear-Admiral Stopford describes as a “master-stroke of policy” on the part of Captain Harris, viz. the drawing the Sultan of Madura from the French alliance, and attaching him to the British interests, which “essentially contributed to the final reduction of Java[3].”
On the 13th Sept. Captain Harris, with the assistance of the Maduries, captured 10 battering cannon, long 24-pounders, that were going to the enemy at Sourabaya, off which place he joined his commander-in-chief on the 18th; and as there was no field-officer of the army then with Rear-Admiral Stopford, he received directions to take command of the troops destined against Gressie. On the 10th that post was occu-
- ↑ See Vol. II. Part II. p. 672.
- ↑ Total, 3 killed, 28 wounded.
- ↑ The official letters written on this occasion will be found in the Naval Chronicle, Vol. XXVII, p. 82 and 83.
